Attachment: effects of institutionalisation

Question 1

what is the difference between privation and deprivation

Answer 1

• Rutter criticised the maternal deprivation hypothesis -> definition is ambiguous.
  -> privation: child never had an attachment to mother or caregiver.
  -> deprivation: where attachment was once formed but is now broken -> in reality, difficult to distinguish.
• claimed privation was more harmful.

Question 2

explain how Curtis’s study of Genie supports privation

Answer 2

• father locked her up -> treated with extreme cruelty, no attachments.
• when discovered at 13, was physically underdeveloped and only spoke with animal-like sounds.
  -> social and intullectual skills never fully developed.

Question 3

Explain Rutter’s longitudinal study of Romanian orphans

Answer 3

• context: orphans were looked after but lacked sensitive care or any chances of attachment.
• method: Romanian orphans were adopted by British families compared with UK adoptees and followed over time.
  -> some orphans were adopted before 6 months and some older than 6 months old.
• results: children younger than 6 months had same level of development as UK adoptees of same age.
  -> romanian orphans older than 6 showed insecure attachments and social problems. compared to uk children who didn’t show these.
• conclusion: privation can be reversed if attachment forms before the age of 6 months.
  -> long-term effects are more permanent if the attachment doesn’t occur within 6 months.
  -> maternal deprivation alone doesn’t cause long-term effects.

Question 4

Evaluate Rutter’s longitudinal study of Romanian orphans

Answer 4

(+) longitudinal study -> had a better insight into long-term effects.
(+) qualitative data -> although detailed -> difficult to create generalised theories from (-).
(-) results of older children may be due to the lack of stimulation in the orphanage instead.

Question 5

what are the long-term effects of institutionalisation

Answer 5

• Bowlby and Rutter studies suggest there are long-term effects of disruption:
• affectionless psychopathy (not understanding action’s effects on others.)
• anaclitic depression: improved social and intellectual development.
• deprivation dwarfism -> physically underdeveloped due to emotional deprivation.
• delinquency -> crimes committed by the youth.
• reduced intelligence.